An Email Circular From Roberts in March 2026
Assuming that today’s readers are aware of the US intervention in Iran, the killing of Ayatollah Khomeini & other leaders and the ongoing military operations in that part of the world, let me ask older generations of Sri Lankans aged 60 or more a DIFFICULT QUESTION: what happened when Rajiv Gandhi and India intervened forcibly in Sri Lanka in 1987 in support of the Tamil people of the island and the various political and fighting elements of the SL Tamil population?
A NOTE re pertinent moments thereafter: among the consequent events were these TWO STRIKING MOMENTS
A: a Sinhalese naval officer in the honour-guard assigned to respect the arrival of India’s PM, namely Rajiv Gandhi, attempted to brain him with his rifle. Only Rajiv’s quick reaction saved him from being brained and severely hurt .
B: However, nothing could save Rajiv from the deadly blast effected by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber in a saree girded with a belt of explosives when she walked up to the podium respectfully as he prepared to address a rally at Sriperumbudur on the 21st May 1991.
Dhanu in green saree & flowers in hair is behind an Indian lass being greeting by the Indian leader ….
This photo shows Dhanu and the LTTE’s Indian aidesmarshalled by Sivarasan waiting for the meoment when Gandhi finished his platform speech and greeted reverential followers
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A historian of your standing, shouldn’t twist facts. May I know whether you have any specific document from Rajiv Gandhi’s office between 1987 and 1989 (during the period he served as the PM of India) in which he had mentioned that he was intervening ‘forcibly in Sri Lanka in 1987 in support of the Tamil people of the island’? If so, will you share it with me?
India’s intervention was a muscle flexing exercise planned by the mandarins to show to Pakistan, they were the Goliaths of South Asian region.
Also, apples and oranges should not be compared. But, one particular fact seems comparable. Unpopular ‘top dogs’ do exhibit a distraction ploy to cover up their mess. Rajiv Gandhi was knee deep in touble with Bofors’ gun scandal. Now, General Bonespur Trump is also in knee deep touble with pedophile Epstein scandal.
SACHI,
I do not have any such document. It is presented as a reasonable conjecture on my part … an INTERPRETATION. Given the different scales of military power there can be no doubt that it was AGGRESIVE FORCE. Let us see if relatively neutral experts intervene and address our discordant readings. I will also let others comment on your claim that it was
“a muscle flexing exercise planned by the mandarins to show to Pakistan, they were the Goliaths of South Asian region.
Also, apples and oranges should not be compared.” Even if that reading is valid, it does not invalidate mine. Multiple causations are commonplace in history.
Michael, thanks a lot for allowing me to express my thoughts and also for your candor and comments. My mission is to provide some clarity on issues that you choose to post in your blog.
I’m sure you do have Prof. K.M. de Silva’s biography of J.R. Jayewardena, vol. II (1994). My reference is to pages 640-646, Details provided here, supports my stance that Rajiv Gandhi and his Delhi mandarins never intended to support the claim of Tamil militants and even the moderates like Tamil United Liberation (or, Lawyers) Front led by Amirthalingam. All had claimed to support the separate Eelam state. But, not a single word supporting this
claim do appear in the ‘Indo-Sri Lanka Accord’, as titled by Prof. K.M. de Silva.
Here are specific details of this Accord, from this source. I cite,
“Five conditions were laid down, four of them based on those insisted by JR in his telegram to Rajiv Gandhi on 6 July 1987. It included the condition that:
‘In the event that the Government of Sri Lanka requests the Government of India to afford military assistance to implement the proposals the Government of India will co-operate by giving to the Government of Sri Lanka such military assistance as and when requested.’ ”
So, what does this means? Indian mandarins had indulged in Gandhi on two issues.
(1) They had beaten Pakistan to offer military assistance, in case GOSL needed.
(2) Sri Lankan Tamils could be fooled by promise of positions and funds for sustenance.
Tragically, Indian mandarins erred in reading the mind of a Tamil militant leader (you know whom), who couldn’t be fooled by such vague promises. In brief, this was the outcome of IPKF-LTTE war, from late 1987 to early 1990.
I do welcome any differing views from mine.